Cartridge systems that contain a particular payload to be launched constitute extremely practical constructions for deploying almost any material or projectile downrange. Typical cartridge systems incorporate the desired payload, a propellant, and some priming composition all within a self-contained unit. While ammunition cartridges are prototypical of cartridge devices, useful cartridge systems have been designed to launch other payloads, such as chemical, pyrotechnic, marker, tracer, signaling, non-lethal projectiles, explosive, smoke, and the like, to exploit their specific functions.
Most cartridge systems require specialized launching devices that are designed for use with that particular cartridge, for example, specialized 37 mm and 40 mm munitions launchers are needed for dispatching payloads such as rubber balls or chemicals. However, the weight, portability, and ease of operation of many launching devices could be improved. These features can be important factors in the decision to carry such launchers into hazardous situations, where it is usually extremely difficult to bring traditional tools into action. For example, extremely dangerous combat or battlefield situations, law enforcement operations, and riots, constitute dangerous environments in which portability and ease of operation of a chemical, fire suppression, signaling, and related cartridges and launchers may be important. Moreover, hand carried or handheld launching devices and their cartridges are limited in size due to one's ability to handle recoil, thereby limiting the overall amount of any particular payload that can be safely and accurately deployed.
Therefore, it would be helpful to discover and develop new launchers and systems for discharging payloads such as chemical payloads to downrange targets, including targets at close ranges. While such payload launchers could be hand carried, for example, handheld, shoulder-mounted, or otherwise unsecured to a platform, what are needed are launcher systems that can be carried by an individual, readily deployed and easily used under combat or riot conditions, and with some means of managing recoil when launching any specialized payload downrange.